Wanindu’s heroics help Sri Lanka clinch series 2-0

Zimbabwe tour of Sri Lanka 2024

The man with a golden arm Wanindu Hasaranga registered his career best bowling figures (7-19) in Men’s ODIs and powered Sri Lanka to comprehensive victory against Zimbabwe by eight wickets and seal the three-match series 2-0.

Opting to bay first under overcast conditions, Zimbabwe were rattled by Hasaranga, who returned with 7/19 in 5.5 overs, the fifth-best bowling figures in the history of Men’s ODIs.

His brilliant spell saw the visitors bundling out for a meagre 96 in 22.5 overs.

The match was reduced to 27 overs per side due to a rain interruption. Consequently, two bowlers were restricted to six overs each, and the rest to five overs.

Zimbabwe openers Takudzwanashe Kaitano and Joylord Gumbie provided a steady start for the visitors, after eight overs, were 41/0.

However their dominance were all until Wanindu Hasaranga was introduced to the attack and delivered with the wicket of Kaitano who walked back to the dugout after scoring 17 off 24 deliveries.

He then return after 2 overs to bag three more wickets — Gumbie (29), Craig Ervine (0) and Milton Shumba (2) to shell shock the visitors.

At a state of bother, Luke Jongwe and Wellington Masakadza resisted for a while and gave some respite from a neverending collapse, but Hasaranga continued to rip through the line up and bundled the hosts out in only 22.5 overs.

During the chase of a modest 97, Sri Lanka comfortably chased it down for the loss of just two wickets with 62 balls to spare.

Kusal Mendis played a captain’s knock in the run chase, top-scoring with an unbeaten 66 off 51 deliveries, hitting nine boundaries and a six.